Inside cabins

[Beth_Disney]

We went on a lovely cruise on Marella Explorer 2 in 2019 and had a balcony cabin. The cabin was spacious but we found that we didn't spend very much time on the balcony and really only used our cabin for getting ready to go out and to sleep.

I've been pricing up another cruise and have found that there's £500 price difference between an inside cabin and an outside cabin. The cabin videos show the cabins are almost identical and there's a window behind the bed.

I'd be interested to read other opinions on inside cabins please? Is it worth spending the extra for an outside cabin?

[mickeyspal]

We have done inside, outside and balcony.
Inside doesnt really bother me but my husband doesn't like it, he feels shut in .
If the price difference is low then I would go for a window... however you dont really look out of them because they are either behind the bed or a bit high up or small.
A lot of cruise companies at the moment are offered free upgrade from window to balcony so that's worth doing.
In view of the whole covid episode when people were confined to rooms , I wouldn't have wanted to be in an inside cabin , so consider that too.
( not just covid but any virus)

If it was a 2 week cruise around a scenic place ,then I would also have a balcony but if theres not much to see ,such as a transatlantic , then I would go for a window.
Most people only use the room to shower and sleep , so weigh up the difference in cost. If its £200 then ok if its £800 difference... think twice.
You said £500 , that's a few excursions

[Beth_Disney]

Originally Posted by mickeyspal

We have done inside, outside and balcony.
Inside doesnt really bother me but my husband doesn't like it, he feels shut in .
If the price difference is low then I would go for a window... however you dont really look out of them because they are either behind the bed or a bit high up or small.
A lot of cruise companies at the moment are offered free upgrade from window to balcony so that's worth doing.
In view of the whole covid episode when people were confined to rooms , I wouldn't have wanted to be in an inside cabin , so consider that too.
( not just covid but any virus)

If it was a 2 week cruise around a scenic place ,then I would also have a balcony but if theres not much to see ,such as a transatlantic , then I would go for a window.
Most people only use the room to shower and sleep , so weigh up the difference in cost. If its £200 then ok if its £800 difference... think twice.
You said £500 , that's a few excursions

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Thank you. That's a good point about being stuck inside a room if there was an outbreak of anything on the ship, I hadn't thought about that.

£500 was the amount that we paid to upgrade from outside to balcony last time which I thought was a fair price. We're considering going for 2 weeks this time with less 'extras'. We had a balcony and upgraded drinks package last time (Marella is all inclusive anyway) and don't think we got the value from either.

[BevS97]

We’ve had an inside room twice snd a window once.

I didn’t mind the inside on the Disney cruise but on our Norway cruise I would have liked a balcony or at least a window.

Covid has also made me nervous. I wouldn’t like to be confined to an inside room for 2 weeks. A balcony would make a huge difference. Hopefully that’s not going to happen but it makes you think.

[mitch84]

Hi Beth, I always go inside. I have had an ocean view twice, but only because I either got upgraded, or they had sold out.

I have never had a balcony, but I can’t see myself using one either. I don’t sunbathe. And if I did I would rather be by the pool where someone was serving me drinks to be honest 😂

We had an inside on our honeymoon, I really don’t mind.

I did enjoy having the window in the Caribbean to see if we had docked, but I turn the tv on with the bow camera whilst I’m getting ready 😂

[Cloverlady]

We've done all before.
We usually have a balcony and it's hard to persuade hubby away from a balcony, but we did Outside once (with a window) and inside once.
Now, for me, inside would not bother me. Our insude cabin cruise was absolutely fine! I did not feel caged in in any way. We had curtains behind our bed which gave the impression of not being a blank wall. We had a camera on the TV screen showing the view and the weather, It was fine for me!
I am up against hubby who insists on a balcony. We do enjoy the balcony and use it loads. Nice chairs and a table overlooking the ocean both by day and by night, and coming into port it is a nice thing to have. But it a deal breaker for me personally as you can go up on a deck to have moreorless the same.

[Disney_time]

I'd go for a balcony or at least an opening window, purely because of being able to have fresh air.

[Smilesonfaces]

On Harmony of the Seas we had a Promenade cabin. The cabin was a little bit bigger than a regular inside with a large window overlooking the promenade of shops, bars and cafes. It was the same price as an inside but you could sit on the window seat , see out and people watch. It was completely soundproof. We have also stayed in an inside cabin which was fine and would do so again but only if there was a big price difference.

[Hermione]

We had a balcony on the first 2 cruises then an inside. The inside was horrendous (well as horrendous as a five star cruise can be).

[JoS]

We have had all types of cabins. For our December cruise we have a balcony as we got a good deal. For our February one, an inside. I quite like the feeling of being "inside" when you shut the door. In your own little haven. I would never pay $500 for a balcony room. We use ours maybe 2/3 times to have a drink before dinner. I would only upgrade if you like to sit out. On Carnival the inside rooms are smaller but we are fine with that.